Defying all odds, the self-driving truck industry has mushroomed at a time when supply chains are strained and labor shortages loom, all against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A self-driving or autonomous truck could be programmed and tracked to drive itself and deliver cargo from point A to point B. It is ideally suited for long, uninterrupted and uncomplicated routes.
Stable and predictable conditions are important because self-driving vehicles are driven by sensors and software. During the software development process, developers try to imagine every possible situation that the software must be able to handle, and then program for that.
What we've learned is that despite the advances of technology and the Internet of Things (IoT), some human intervention is still needed in the operation of autonomous vehicles. There are always technology constraints and unpredictable situations that software can't anticipate.
Snowstorms, for instance, impede the abilities of today's IoT sensors to capture data, and require human intervention. Complex intersections in cities with a variety of traffic situations are also difficult for sensors and control software to decipher and navigate, not to mention the unpredictable element of human drivers and the decisions they make.
Thus, self-driving trucks may be a logistics bonanza, but being complete driverless on the road may still need further research.